An Unexpected Sunday Brunch

On Saturday night I got an email from lytteltonwitch letting me know that otakuu was in town and wondered if we wanted to meet for brunch the next morning. So yesterday morning I was up bright and early (well, early considering I’d had a pretty late night the night before, not having got lytteltonwitch’s email until very late (she’d sent it much earlier, I just hadn’t checked my emails all evening) so thinking I’d be able to sleep in…) to catch a bus into Riccarton.

We had a very enjoyable breakfast sitting in the covered outside part of Browsers (it has a sort of greenhouse arrangement of clear plastic over it, which makes for a very pleasant temperature at this time of year, plus has jasmine growing up the walls giving a sweet scent to the air). Otakuu had brought her DS2 along, who was very tolerant of all the Bookcrossing gossip and our gentle teasing about what exactly otakuu says about him in her Livejournal. I gave Here on Earth by Alice Hoffman to otakuu, and released In Custody by Anita Desai on our table when we left (only to be chased by one of the staff, who thought I’d left it behind (I had, but it was on purpose!)).

Otakuu made the mistake of mentioning that she’d been checking out airfares to Charleston, and found return fares for $2000. Of course, that got me dreaming again – I could probably scrape together $2000 if I really tried… but then reality crept back in – to spend that much money travelling half way round the world, I’d want to go for longer than a weekend, which means accommodation and food costs start adding up, plus I’d want to see more than just Charleston, which means adding extra travel costs… plus of course the cost of the convention itself – the Americans hold their conventions in hotels, which means much higher convention fees. So realistically I’d need at least twice that amount of money, probably more. Oh well, it was a nice dream while it lasted… At least I’ve got Wellington in February to look forward to.

After lunch lytteltonwitch and I went for a browse around Borders and Whitcoulls, and picked up a few more bits and pieces for the hug box, and then gave me a lift home so that we could put the box together. MrPloppy‘s going to post it for me today, so once it has arrived with its recipient I’ll be able to tell you all about it 🙂


Currently reading: Legends edited by Robert Silverberg

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